


Tattoo Removal

by aislingdoheanta



Category: Spartacus Series (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, tattoo artist au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-16
Updated: 2014-05-16
Packaged: 2018-01-25 00:32:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1622531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aislingdoheanta/pseuds/aislingdoheanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Agron needs a tattoo touched up. Nasir is the artist who helps him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tattoo Removal

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the ficadayinmay thing over on tumblr. I was going through a list of AU/story ideas and this idea just sort of came to me.

Agron walked into the tattoo shop a man on a mission. Barely gave the guy behind the desk to talk before he dropped the paper onto the desk. “I’d like to get a tattoo.”

The guy behind the desk raised his head. “You have to make an appointment.”

He shoved the paper toward the kid. “I just want a fairly simple dagger. It shouldn’t take too long. Can’t you see if anyone’s available?”

The kid rolled his eyes, but grabbed the paper before walking into the back.

Agron picked at his fingernails and hoped that someone would be able to help him.

“Dude?” the kid called. “One of the guys said he’d take you. He’s just cleaning up, so you can fill out the paperwork while you wait.”

“Yeah. Thanks.” Agron grabbed it from the kid and quickly scrawled his name. He didn’t need to read it. He knew what he was getting into.

“Hey, Pietros. Who’s the guy?” The most gorgeous man Agron had ever seen just walked to the counter. Agron didn’t have a type, though his friends tried to pin one down. But this man looked like he was made specifically to drive Agron crazy.

“That guy,” the boy, Pietros, said as he pointed to Agron.

“Yeah me.” Agron said when he realized the guy had been waiting for him to talk. “Agron.”

The man just laughed, shaking his head. “Right this way Agron.” 

He led him back to his little work room. “I’m Nasir and I’m going to be taking care of you today.”

Nasir closed his door behind them and gestured to the chair. “You’re thinking of getting a dagger? You know where?”

“My chest.” Agron swallowed and quickly unbuttoned his shirt. “I would like this incorporated in, but not exactly standing out.”

Nasir looked at him and then back down to the tattoo that was already there. “You sure you want me to cover up that beautiful butterfly?”

Agron cleared his throat. “I was drunk, there was a dare involved. And I don’t back down,” he said defensively.

“Apparently,” Nasir agreed. “If it helps, that’s not the worst drunken tattoo I’ve seen.”

“Can you fix it?” Agron asked.

“Sure. I mean, it’s not going to look exactly like these examples, but I should be able to get it pretty close,” Nasir assured him. “I’ll have to free-hand. That okay?”

“Whatever you want, man.” Agron sighed.

“So, Agron right?” Nasir asked as he started cleaning the area. At Agron’s nod he continued. “Can I ask the story behind it? If you remember that is.” 

Agron chuckled. “Well, I remember the discussion of tattoos starting earlier in the evening. I mean, I had been thinking of getting another one for a while, just hadn’t decided on what. And then we all got to drinking and shouting out random ideas. I mean there were unicorns, pride flags,” Agron glanced over at Nasir gathering his supplies. “Even some more explicit ones. But I told them that I wasn’t going to get a tattoo that so obviously signaled me out as gay. I mean, I’m not ashamed but you know, the world just isn’t there yet.”

Agron shook his head and glanced at the pictures on the wall of that tattoos he assumed Nasir had done. “Anyway, the rest of the night is sort of a blur. I remember my friend and I arguing over different things and eventually it became a competition I guess. I dared him to ask out the girl he’d been after for what felt like years. He told me that I’d have to get a tattoo if he did. Apparently he did. He said that I should get a butterfly tattoo ‘cause she had one. I don’t know. It was a weird night.” 

“Sounds like it,” Nasir agreed. “I’m going to start now. Let me know if it gets too uncomfortable.”

Agron nodded.

“So why change it?” Nasir asked. “Why not just get it removed.

Agron sighed. He was not going to tell this man he was trying to impress that he was slightly afraid of tattoo removal. “Well, I didn’t want to exactly get rid of it. I actually rather like it. But my brother would never let me hear the end of it!” 

Nasir only chuckled.

They remained quiet for a few moments while Nasir worked. Agron tried not to stare down at him for too long. And he tried not to inhale too frequently in his lame attempt at smelling Nasir’s hair—he just couldn’t tell if it smelled like coconut or vanilla. 

“You do all these?” Agron asked after a while and gesturing to the walls.

Nasir didn’t even break his stride. “Yeah. Those are my favorites, the ones I’m most proud of.” 

“They’re really good,” Agron told him.  

“They’re not as good as Auctus’,” Nasir told him quietly.

“They’re still really fucking good man.” Agron continued looking around. “You do all of them freehand?”

Nasir seemed to flush when he looked up. “Um, well, not all of them. The words and letters are easier to use transfer paper. But a lot of the drawings are freehand, yeah.”

“Thank the gods you were available to help me then,” Agron told him with a smile.

“I had just finished with a client. I don’t think the gods had anything to do with it,” Nasir said as he went back to work.

“Fine, Fate then,” Agron said. Nasir only sighed. “You don’t believe that Fate brought us together Nasir? That it was her hand that led me to this shop?”

“It’s a tattoo, Agron. It’s hardly Romeo & Juliet,” Nasir told him.

“It could be. You just have to believe, Nasir! This could be the start of our epic love story,” Agron argued.

Nasir leveled him with a look, that had he been more acquainted with the artist he would have known meant Nasir was embarrassed. “It could also be the start of your tattoo removal process if you don’t keep still.”

“Fine,” Agron said. “I’ll behave.”

And he did. For the rest of the time, he barely spoke, though he wanted to practically every minute. He was sort of mesmerized by the man in front of him. He was gorgeous, obviously, but was clearly talented. He even seemed to be able to handle Agron, which according to his friends, was not an easy feat.

“Done,” Nasir announced as he stood up. He stretched out his back and grabbed the coverings. “Now, you know the rules, right? Leave it covered for a minimum of two hours? Then wash it with gentle soap to keep if from being infected?” 

“Yeah, yeah. And use lotion when it starts to scab—but only on the surrounding area,” Agron said before Nasir could interrupt.

Nasir nodded. “I would wash it later tonight, carefully, then let it air-dry. And then probably cover it up again for when you sleep. Just in case it breaks open or gets irritated.” 

“Yup.” Agron shrugged back into his shirt, carefully buttoning it back up. 

Nasir grabbed a card and shoved it into his hand. “If you run into any problems or have any questions, just give me a call.” 

Agron glanced at it and noticed it was his business cad. “Your cell number’s not on here.”

“I tend not to give that out to customers,” Nasir told him, leveling him with a stare.

“But what if I have an issue later tonight. Or I can’t figure out how to bandage it properly,” Agron said with a smirk.

Nasir rolled his eyes but scribbled his number on the back. “Only for questions, Agron.”

“I understand.” Agron pocketed the card and followed Nasir out to take care of payment and last minute signage. When Agron had turned around, Nasir had slipped back behind the counter and out of sight.

It was, Agron argued, the reason he had dialed Nasir’s number later—after programming it into his phone after all.

“Hello?”

Agron smiled. “Nasir. It’s Agron. You said to call if I had any questions.”

“Am I to believe it’s a serious question?” Nasir asked.

“You can believe whatever you want to believe. Just like I am able to believe that it was Fate’s influence that led to you being the artists to help me today.”

Nasir sighed and Agron could picture him shaking his head. “What’s your question, Agron?” 

“Will my tattoo still be sore on the weekend? I just was hoping to have plans and I don’t want that have that get tin the way,” Agron explained.

Nasir hummed into the phone. “It should be fine by then. Assuming, of course, you’re not going to do anything directly relating to inuring your chest.”

“Good. That’s good. Thanks, Nasir.” Agron swallowed. 

“No problem,” Nasir responded.

“Are you free this weekend? I was hoping we could see a movie or grab dinner or drinks.” Agron paused, waiting for Nasir’s response. “I would just like to get to know you more.”

Nasir was quiet for so long Agron almost regretted calling him. The last thing he wanted to do was upset the man or make him uncomfortable. He just would have kicked himself if he hadn’t give it a try, asking Nasir out. 

“There’s an art exhibit I wanted to go to this weekend. It’s Saturday and it’s open from nine to four,” Nasir said quietly. “If you’d like to join me.”

**Author's Note:**

> The pictures of Agron's tattoos, or what I envisioned at least as a starting point can be found over at my tumblr [ HERE](http://saras-almanac.tumblr.com/post/85825628179/fic-a-day-in-may-day-fifteen).


End file.
